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license to fly; nor are they

required to register the ve-

hicles. However, some rules

do apply.

According to federal reg-

ulations, powered paraglid-

ers must be flown only for

recreation, not commercial

purposes. Pilots must take

care not to endanger people

on the ground by allowing

anything to drop from the

aircraft or by flying over

congested areas or over any

open-air assembly of peo-

ple.

While these regulations

may be lightly enforced by

local authorities, propo-

nents of powered paraglid-

ing urge pilots respect the

rules lest the FAA be moved

to impose more restrictions

on their flight.

Like most sports, pow-

ered paragliding has an or-

ganization — the U.S.

Powered Paragliding Association, or USPPA. The

USPPA provides pilots with a wealth of information on

the sport and has established a ratings system for pilots

and a certification program for instructors. It is remark-

ably well developed for a sport that has only been

around for about 25 years.

Powered paragliding grew out of nonpowered

paragliding, which was developed from a number of

sources, most notably the sport parachutes used by Eu-

ropean mountain climbers who wanted a quick way to

get back down off the slopes.

Since 1964, when designers made a big breakthrough

with a square-shaped parachute, the wings have im-

proved dramatically.

In 1980, even the best wings had a glide ratio of 2:1,

meaning that the paraglider moved forward two feet for

every foot it descended. Those were still more like para-

chutes than gliders. By 1988, paraglider wings had a

glide ratio of about 5:1 and by 2012, some paragliders

could achieve a glide ratio of 11:1.

In the 1980s, European paragliding enthusiasts began

adding motors to their aircraft and in 1989, a European

company called Pagojet offered the first powered

paraglider available for purchase by the general public.

Paramotors have evolved along with paraglider wings,

as improved wing efficiency has allowed pilots to use

smaller, lighter motors.

Jackson said his paraglider wing, purchased from his

instructor in 2005, has a glide ratio of 6:1. It is 25 square

meters, or about 30 feet long. Pilots choose different

sized wings based on their own size. Heavier pilots can

select paragliders of up to 40 square meters in size.

The paraglider wing looks large while laid out on the

ground or soaring through the air, but it can fold up

small enough to fit in a suitcase, making it easy to take

along on trips. “Its portability allows me to pack it up

and go wherever I want to go,” Jackson said.

Jackson’s paramotor is a Black Hawk two-stroke radi-

al motor with a 4-foot wooden propeller. The gas tank

holds two gallons of fuel, which Jackson mixes himself.

While flying, he keeps an eye on the fuel level using

what he calls his “high-tech gas gauge” — a small mir-

ror that he uses to look at the tank behind him.

Jackson does most of his own maintenance on the

motor, cleaning the spark plug, replacing the fuel filter,

and checking the torque on the bolts. He sends his

Jackson by his “wall of shame” at his Madras home. The mounts of broken propellers

are, more to the fact, a testament to the potential dangers of the sport, and Jackson’s

capacity to ignore them.

“I was having too much fun and ran out of fuel ...